Tag: virtual book club

before reading this book, I had heard so much about it. but not specifically what it was about. the overall buzz: it was a tear-jerker. which I will second. and add to ..

the fault in our stars is beautifully written story about a teenage girl named hazel, who unexpectedly meets an intriguing [soon-to-be love of her life] boy, named augustus ..at none other than a support group for cancer kids. I immediately thought ‘a walk to remember’. a love story plagued by a deadly disease. I had thoughts of stopping before the story line really developed [I’m a crier], but I reluctantly continued. I had to know what happened.

and I’m glad I read on. the ending was not the one I had anticipated, but it sure did bring on the waterworks.

cancer is a very tough topic to discuss. especially in young kids. so I anticipated it to be extremely hard to read. but I loved the way the author used wit, intelligence, and humor throughout the story.

you can never have too many reminders of how precious life is. and to take advantage of every moment. this book, among other things, was just that.

I feel truly blessed to have read this book. it’s as though the author opened the doors to his home and shared with you his deepest thoughts & feelings, over a cup of coffee. I was moved by the story and friendship with Mr. Rogers. but more than that, the takeaway[s].

[*editor’s note: I highlighted almost the entire book. there was so much I found moving].

a few of my favorites:

• “never assume there is going to be more than this day. we must never take love for granted”.

I would encourage any + everyone to read I’m Proud of You by Tim Madigan. whether your life is in the midst of hard times, or the absolute best of times ..you can benefit from these words. it serves as a great reminder to live in the moment and cherish what is [& who is] around you.

and to conclude, transcendent childhood wisdom “..’sometimes,’ my five-year-old-son said into my shoulder that night, ‘life is so beautiful, you just have to cry’..”

from the first page, I was hooked. I could not get enough of {love with a chance of drowning}. it was a true “page-turner”. and the absolute perfect summer read.

on the long drive from colorado back to iowa, in between keeping [J] company as he drove .. I read the entire book.

there so many great things to say. it’s a memoir, written by a girl who very reluctantly sailed the pacific ocean with her boyfriend. she was terrified of the ocean. and was constantly plagued by sea sickness. I couldn’t believe it was a true story. she overcame so much. accomplished so much. went against all the naysayers. it was beautiful.

on the smallest of small scales, I thought of [J] & I’s camping adventure/road trip across the country. it was far from sailing the pacific ocean. but it was a feat for us. for me. we constructed our tent home each day. one that provided very little protection. did I mention it rained almost every single night? and we survived two hail storms in our tent. thankfully not one leak. we cooked meals over campfires, when the flames would cooperate. when they wouldn’t, we survived on snacks.

it was so minuscule compared to what the couple in the book accomplished. but it was a lot in our book. and it meant so much to read {love with a chance of drowning} when I did, on our trip back home. we saw so much. but it made us want to see so much more. and this book pretty much says: DO IT. don’t let anything stand in your way, especially yourself.

it’s a beautiful story. with so many great life lessons. and so inspiring.

I may even go against my unwritten rule and read it a second time. it’s that good.